A Few Days Are Always Enough
by That Sick Bastard
Summary: "All species capable of grasping this fact manage better in the struggle for existence than those which rely upon their own strength alone: the wolf, which hunts in a pack, has a greater chance of survival than the lion, which hunts alone." -Christian Lous Lange.
1. Sequence

**I do not own Bleach.  
****  
****DAY: 21  
TIME: 0245 hours  
LOCATION: Outskirts of the 13 Squad Barracks.**

"How did this happen?"

"I don't know."

"Why are they like this?"

"I don't know."

"What are we going to do?"

"Survive."

"How long will that last before we turn into them?"

"...it depends. How bad do want to keep your humanity?"

"Really bad."

"Then we'll see how bad you really want to keep it."

She looked through the gaps of the den they were hiding in and hugged her knees close to her chest. Listening to the steady fall of rain hitting the area around them and the slight melody of the radio that was playing. It was only a matter of time before Ichigo came back from scavenging for food.

God, she hoped he was okay.

"How do you think Ichigo is doing out there?" she asked her white haired companion sitting next to her.

"Even though Kurosaki is well aware of not being able to kill them, he will still try to fight them off with all the strength he has."

Their clothes were tattered and dirty. The smell of blood and rotting corpses filled the air. The sky was a pumpkin orange color. Rain battered the earth with force and the wicked laughter of demons and the screams of local residents echoed through the forest. She bit her lip and tightly clutched the fabric of her clothing as more loud roars and cries continued.

The young man sitting next to her couldn't help but to react to the situation by resting his hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "There's nothing we can we do about it, my friend. It's survival of the fittest and those people out there are recieving the blunt end of it." he sighed. He felt her relax from his words and took his hand away from her.

She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. There was no stopping this nightmare with weapons. You needed only your wits, skills and tactics in order to survive. Everything else was strictly forbidden and only caused further problems.

"Turn up the radio. I want to hear what the weather is for tomorrow." she told him softly.

He shuffled towards the contraption and turned the knob on middle volume. It must be pouring in the living world too. Both the Soul Society and Living World would have the same weather even if they were on different dimensional planes. They both sat around the contraption and listened intently to the weatherman's update.

_**"Tonight, we expect the rain to *KHHHKKK* in the next hour. Coastal regions are expected to flooding and we *KHHHKKKK* to stay indoors. For Saturday's weather tomorrow, the heavy rain will *KHHHCHGG* to lighten until 11:00 A.M. when it stops. Conditions for this and next week are expected to be dry-"**_

The boy turned off the radio and glanced towards his black haired companion. "You know what that means, don't you?" he said narrowing his eyes at her.

"I am well aware of our situation right now, Captain." "We need to get out of here before they catch us...!" she hissed. This was a bad. Very bad. They would all be at full strength by noon or even earlier.

A perfect time to hunt for prey.

"What do we do now?" she asked. "...I...I'm not sure. Luckily, we have enough time to plan an escape due to the storm. But...there are captains and lieutenants still out there tonight. And I'm not sure if they'll either rest for tomorrow, or continue to try and satisfy their insatiable hunger." He explained.

The black haired girl sighed as her toes curled inwards. She wanted think he was wrong but, oh how right he was.

They couldn't sense spiritual pressure or energy properly since both their craving for flesh and blood and heavy rain fog up their minds making them unable to concentrate and forcing them to rest. But an exception of certain captains and lieutenants are known to fully sense others presences and are able to somewhat control their sanity most of the time.

They both sat silently together listening to the rain bouncing off the den. A silence that they were all too comfortable with. It stayed like that for quite some time with the shuffling of their bodies and the sounds of rain coming down harder than before. She stood up from her place and walked to the other side of their den.

It was a bland little hut with one window with wooden floors and walls. The only thing that really stuck out was the trash that littered the floor, the barricaded door and window and cracked mirror that was imbedded to the fragile mahogany walls. She walked towards the stained mirror and brought her face close to her reflection.

She frowned as she noticed the bags that were developing under her eyes and the many cuts and bruises that covered her face and body. They were all a complete wreck. Both physically and mentally.

Especially the two that waited patiently together for Ichigo.

They had to deal with the threat with both of them becoming those demons and losing whatever inch of sanity they had.

She continued staring at her reflection and shook her head. It would happen so suddenly. You started to crave human blood and innards, animalistic instincts would kick in and you would lose all control over yourself. She couldn't help but question why the Captain-Commander would allow this to happen.

"This is bullshit." she whispered.

**"TOSHIRO! RUKIA! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!"**

They turned towards the barricaded opening with wide eyes as they heard the loud voice and banging of their door.

**"HURRY UP! THEY'RE COMING!"**

The short duo shot up from their sitting areas in a hurry and began pushing and removing the heavy chunks of wood and debris as fast as they could. They removed almost everything from the doorway in under a minute and had only one obstacle standing in their way. It was the large chunk of a tree branch that was slowly beginning to rot.

Toshiro exhaled and began pushing the heavy branch towards the corner with Rukia falling suit to unlocking the door.

When she had finished finishing up with the last lock, the door of their hideout immediately swung open as a panting Ichigo bursted through with a bag full of supplies and a look of frustration and terror on his face. Rukia closed the door in a hurry and put back every lock in no time. She began pushing the objects against the door once again. She stumbled to the floor and panted anxiously.

"Toshiro...leave the branch their...we can put it back later..." she breathed staring down at the floor. He simply nodded and rested his back against the wall eyeing Ichigo curiously. He held a large red bag in his hand and a flashlight in the other. He eyed the raven haired girl and tossed the contents towards her.

"Take the damn thing..." he said.

She looked through the bag and let out a small sigh of relief. They had everything they needed. Medical supplies, food and blankets were a prime virtue. She set the supplies in the middle of the floor and sat back in her normal position. "I'm guessing you got all of this from Squad 4, right?" Toshiro said looking up at the teenager.

"Yeah. I didn't see Unohana and her Lieutenant there. So, it was easier for me this time." he sighed

"But, looking at your state, they probably did a number on you, Kurosaki." he said fishing for something out of the bag. "Surprisingly, they're a lot faster and dangers than the others. That's why I was yelling at you to open the door." The young woman smiled a little and rested her head on her hand.

"Well...I'm glad you got out there alive, Ichigo."

"Congrats for surviving." Toshiro said taking a bite out of an apple.

"Yeah..." Ichigo said meekly.

_"...lets hope I can keep it up for the next 80 more days..."_

Ichigo looked around the den and noticed the walls and door shake from the blowing wind. "We're gonna have to move out of here soon and find sturdier shelter." he simply stated. "Which reminds me, did you guys hear anything on the radio while I was gone?' he asked looking over the two.

"Yeah. And it's some bad news, alright. Apparently, we have no time left." the silver haired boy said taking another bite out of the apple. Ichigo's eyes widened. "What did they say, Toshiro?" The captain simply set his gaze on the girl next to him and pointed his finger towards her. "I believe, Kuchiki will have an accurate say on things." Rukia cleared her throat and faced the other way.

"The rain is going to clear up soon by late tomorrow morning. And that's dangerously close to noon. Making it almost impossible to move out of here without you getting eaten, and me and Toshiro being captured." she finally faced the stern man and frowned. "We need to get out of here before they can sense our spiritual energy!" she yelled. Ichigo growled under his breath and raised his head. "I think I have a plan." he stated.

Rukia listened to his words and hugged her knees to her chest once again.

She felt tears building up in her eyes and successfully held them back. She already cried enough in the last 20 days.

Words began wandering inside her head of their current situation and gripped the fabric of her clothing even tighter than before.

What was wrong with the soul reapers?


	2. Discovery

**I do not own Bleach.**

**Authors Note: ****Its gonna have a lot of blood, gore, and...well, it's gonna be like my other story 'Spawn of Satan'. And you know how THAT one went...**

**HA HA HA WOW.**

**Speaking of 'Spawn Of Satan', I got sooooo many complaints from communists and jews PM'ing me about how I AM what's wrong with society. But hey...**

**A sick bastard needs to attain that status, ya' know.**

* * *

_**DAY: 1  
HOURS: 1500  
LOCATION: Squad 13's Main Office.**_

_The change._

_It was beginning to happen. Their bodies quivered almost simultaneously at the sheer power of it all. Their screams and grunts echoed through the room as the excruciating pain of transformation occurred._

_It was no use in trying to control it._

_Inevitable._

_Every Soul Reaper would have to go through this process every other 140 years. And they will always succumb to their instincts each time._

_The curse was to flow through their veins for all eternity._

_They all writhed on the floor in pain and agony. No one could to hear them due to the sound proof walls Shunsei had put up for this purpose only. Only two were unable to access their wretched blood since they were not of age yet; who they called 'juveniles'. Thus, why they could not join the ritual._

_However, one other juvenile had to come since her Captain didn't want her to wait for her abilities to come late and make her weak. She had not cried at all. All she did was watch them through confused blank eyes. Not knowing why she thought it was normal._

_Another ally was also unable to join since he was not pure Soul Reaper._

_The one person that they could not risk devouring._

_They had given him the name of 'Key'._

_The two 'Juveniles' and the one 'Key' sat somewhere else in the 13 Court Guard Squad. Completely oblivious to the situation occurring deep within the Captain-Commander's office._

* * *

_She stared at the paperwork in front of her and let out a heavy sigh. She took a glance at her orange haired friend and frowned. He laid atop the Squad 13's sofa with his legs resting on a soft cushion, hands resting behind his head and air conditioning adjusted to only release it's coolness on him._

_She narrowed her eyes at him and resumed her documents; fanning herself with papers she already signed. It was a hot summers day and the temperatures were at an all time high. Sky rocketing from a nice 75 degrees, to a scorching 98._

_"Rukia! Are you done yet?" he sleepily asked._

_"No, I'm not done yet, Ichigo." she replied wearily._

_"But you've been at this for almost an hour!"_

_She could feel her eyebrow begin to twitch and the grip on her black pen begin to tighten. He was asking for it._

_BAD._

_"Maybe if I wasn't dying in this sweltering heat, and had that AC blowing on me, maybe I could actually concentrate and finish faster!" she spat through gritted teeth._

_And she wasn't joking either. Sure, the Captain-Commander was nice enough to equip the Soul Reapers with summer clothing with shorter sleeves and thinner fabric. But, it was still black and conducted more heat. Making just about all of them trudge around like zombies._

_"Fine!" he yelled. He got up from the sofa and walked to the air conditioning. Turning the valves towards the wearisome girl. Her face changed from scornful to blissful in an instant when the air started to blow at her sweaty back. She turned her body the other way and relished in the breeze._

_Ichigo looked down at the petite girl; frowning. He was starting to feel hot himself already. He let out a breath and walked besides her. "All right! All right! Scoot over. I need some air on me too, you know." he said pushing her to the other side. She tumbled sideways as he fitted his large frame next to her. She simply rolled her eyes and adjusted her body to properly to sit._

_They both sat there leaning against the paper covered desk. Nothing but a comfortable silence penetrated the room. It stayed like that for quite sometime until Rukia began speaking_

_"So, hows the preparations for college thing going out for you? Got any acceptances?" she started._

_The young man snapped out of his daze and gave her an exhausted look. "Ugh, don't get me started on that shit. I've just finished everything about a week ago!" he sighed tilting his head backwards._

_"That bad, huh?"_

_"Out of all the things of being in the living world, preparing for college has to be the worst thing ever." he spat._

_Ichigo had finally graduated highschool with an excellent GPA and has been bombarded with requests from schools and universities nationwide. Keeping him and his father very busy for some time. And out of the hundreds of schools scattered throughout the world, Ichigo had narrowed it down to two options;_

_"Yale and NYU?" Rukia questioned._

_He pinched the bridge of his nose and stared straight at the ceiling. "Yeah. Their both all the way in the states and I finished with my interview to Yale about a week ago. Really takes a load off my back." he chimed. Rukia rested her elbow on the desk and eyed him. "I'm guessing it's pretty stressful." raising her brows._

_"No foolin'. One of toughest parts of going on in life." he sat up from the table behind him and gave her a girl cocky grin. "At least I get to relax this summer before anything else, you know? All I gotta do is wait for either college to respond and I'm home free."_

_She smiled at him and was glad that he was planning his life ahead so well. "Well, I'm really happy for you, Ichigo. I really am. The strawberry is at last grown up!" she teased batting her eyes playfully. His face radiated a tint of embarrassment and a fist came resting on top of the raven haired girl's head._

_"Oh, you are such a card, my overly quirky sidekick!" he laughed rubbing her head with his knuckles. Giving her a noogie. "Ah! Ichigo! You're messing up my hair!" she sputtered as strands got in her face. "You were asking for it!" he smiled._

_"Ichigo!"_

* * *

_The young Captain sat in the desk of his office doing the same thing that he usually did._

_Paperwork._

_It was a weekly almost daily pastime of his that he's been getting use to recently. Possibly because he can avoid the harmful sun from outside and actually stay in his automatically chilled room these days. And ever since new Captain, Kyouraku Shunsui filled in for the job, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya has been getting less work to do than usual._

_He hoped Yamamoto didn't randomly dump extra work on him because he was a child. Or teenager if you want to be up to date about it._

_The young man put his pen down and leaned against his chair. It sure has been quiet ever since his Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto left to go to her supposed, 'Secret Meeting'. He smirked at the thought of it and rested his hands behind his head._

_"She's probably out drinking with Kira and Hisagi right now." he sighed. Maybe those secret meetings have gone on for a while because he hasn't been seeing her drinking buddies recently. Or anyone for that matter,besides that Kuchiki girl and her ignorant friend._

_Weird._

_Hitsugaya removed his hands from his head and sat up. He turned his attention to the already opened door of his office and smiled softly. He might as well take advantage of this situation and take a nice, sunny afternoon saunter through the squads property and probably visit the black and orange haired companions._

_He got off of his comfy seat and walked to the front opening and found himself adjusting his green scarf to let some air out. It really was a hot today with the sun shining high and bright in the sky, and packing some serious humidity. He simply shrugged it off and walked out of the room. Blocking the rays from hitting his eyes. It was only 5:00 P.M. and the sun would be setting in at least two or three hours._

_The teen simply heeded to his plan for a lazy walk and went right to it. His mind fazed from anything negative._

* * *

_They had all fainted from the overwhelming surges of power and pain that coursed through their bodies. His eyes that were once a chocolate brown were taken away by black and red opened slightly and gazed about the area. The room was pitch black and smelt of fresh blood already. Some of them must have bit themselves hard to try and fend off the aching of their body._

_His breathing was ragged and uneven. He slowly sat up and hissed slightly when he felt his back crack. He rubbed out his messy red hair and scanned his eyes across the room as if in a daze. He appeared to be the one to regain consciousness first. All the others were still unnerved while the juvenile was instead sleeping soundly next to her Captain. He blinked his eyes and eyed the gate in front of him awkwardly._

_He stood up straight and slid it open enough for his body to go through. Beams of light illuminating the dark room behind him in the process. He stepped outside and looked over his surroundings as if it were foreign to him. He sniffed the air slightly and licked his lips longingly._

_He was hungry and a good meal was in the vicinity._

_He smiled inwardly and began looking for his first victim._

* * *

_"I'm gonna go deliver these papers over to squad 11." Rukia sighed massaging her soar fist. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." she threatened. Ichigo turned over on his side on the floor and shooed Rukia away with his hand. "Yeah, yeah just go already. I'll see you when you get back." he yelled rubbing his abused cranium with his right hand. She was small but she dealt mean blows when provoked._

_She aligned her papers, folded them under her arm and proceeded to the front of the office. She was about to open but pulled her hand away slightly. Thinking about the thriving heat that lurked outside._

_"Hey, Ichigo?"_

_"What?" he grumbled._

_"You want to head over to the Soul Society and get some ice cream or something?" she asked turning her head to the side._

_"Sure. as long as you're paying." he snickered turning over on his back to look at her._

_"How about I pay for my half and you pay for yours?" she smiled opening the door._

_He hunched his shoulders and rested his eyes. "Eh. Fair enough."_

_Rukia chortled and rolled her eyes at him. "I'll be back later." she said walking out of her office. She closed the door behind her and continued her duty._

_She eyed the area around her in confusion as she walked down the tatami floors. No one was really out here that much today. Ever since her Captain, Ukitake told her that he would be in a private meeting, she hasn't seen anyone all day besides Ichigo._

_A rather rare coincidence she considered._

_When the young woman had turned a corner, she noticed white hair flicker in front of her and instantly knew who it belonged to. It had been awhile since she saw the boy and it had been a long while since she's even spoken to him. Her feet went faster with every step as she edged closer to her superior until she winded up behind him._

_"Good afternoon, Captain Hitsugaya." she greeted with a soft smile. The teen turned his head and noticed the Kuchiki girl was right behind him. Holding a kind expression on her face. "Good afternoon to you too, Lieutenant Kuchiki." he greeted._

_"That's odd. I thought you would have gone to that secret meeting Matsumoto went to."_

_"Secret meeting? All I know is that Captain Ukitake went to something like that." she stated._

_He nodded his head and pondered at her statement. He could have sworn it was probably another women's association or private Lieutenants meeting. He shook off the thought and looked back at the girl._

_"So what brings you out here, Captain?" she asked._

_"Well, since I had time, I thought it would have been nice for me to go out on a walk today. Even though it is fairly humid out. And what brings you out here, Kuchiki? Work?"_

_"Yes. This is, fortunately, the last of it and all I have to do is deliver it to Squad 11. And after that, me and Kurosaki are probably going to head out and get some ice cream." she laughed lightly._

_"Well then, that sounds like a rather nice plan for today. I am guessing I will leave it to you then. " he reassured. Almost sounding slightly disappointed._

_Rukia watched as his expression change. It was from calm to slightly melancholic. Enough so that many would not be able to tell. She wondered how long it's been since the teen had a good time_

_Maybe she should invite him. It could ease some of the tension off his mind._

_"Captain?" she playfully asked._

_"What is it?" he seemed unamused._

_"How about you, me and Kurosaki all go out together?"_

_Hitsugaya turned his head to face the girl with wide eyes. Was she serious? Was she really inviting...__**him** of all people to an outing?_

_"Uh...I guess since I have nothing else to do..." __He had almost cursed himself for stuttering. It should have been a walk in the park for him to decline her offer._

_But maybe he should go._

_It has been a while since he did anything nice._

_"That's great! After I'm done, I'll meet up with you and Ichigo and then we can go." she smiled._

_"Actually, I think you're already here." he muttered._

_She stopped walking and stared at the Squad 11 insignia that was in front of her._

_That was rather quick._

_Rukia walked towards the entrance and turned back around to face Hitsugaya._

_"I'll see you later."_

_She turned back around and walked inside. Making a slight skip in each step._

_When she was out of sight, the young Captain stared at where she was and smiled. "Whatever..." and with that he walked off to find Ichigo and tell him he will be accompanying him and his friend._

* * *

_Rukia trudged through the messy area that was known as the 11th division. There were many odd things that she would have probably or never guessed was inside. Papers everywhere, weapons embedded into the walls, furniture and pillars broken, damaged or even demolished and other signs of destruction caused by the blood thirsty squad._

_She carefully slipped her way passed the debris to head for Captain Zaraki's desk. Almost tripping over a broken floorboard in the process. After a few moments of struggle, the young girl eventually found her way to his desk and let out a sigh of relief. Happy that she was able to walk without falling down._

_She was about to place the papers on the table until, she felt someone else's spiritual pressure thrive somewhere else in the room._

_It had felt familiar and yet...different._

_Trying to detect the point of the aura, her eyes scanned over each corner of the room until they rested on a door that was left slightly ajar. Her lavender orbs narrowed as she edged quickly but carefully for the culprit._

_Shuffling could be heard as Rukia kept on growing closer and closer. She had to stop moving when she had stepped in something wet and sticky. She looked down and raised her foot off from the ground. Her eyes growing wide in shock._

_Blood._

_Blood was beginning to seep through the crack of the door and cascade its crimson color across the tanned mats. She removed her foot as quickly as possible from the red puddle and nearly stumbled backwards in the process._

_What the hell was this thing?_

_She advanced closer to the door and reached her hand towards the knob. Hesitantly, she grasped the brass object and slowly but carefully opened it._

_Her hand kept a vice grip on the handle when she had fully opened the entire closet._

_Rukia stared at the scene in front of her with wide eyes and mouth gaping open. She could already feel the vomit develop in her gut._

_A body was sprawled out on the floor in a most horrific manner. Arms and legs broken with the bone literally protruding out of the skin. One of the eyes was plucked out while one was left dangling on its cheek by an optic nerve. The head was split open allowing pieces of skull and bits of brain matter stick to the small corner of the room and roll down its neck._

_Her eyes began going further downwards to see a deep cut in the lower part of the abdomen. Allowing half eaten intestines, excrement, and more viscous fluid flow out even more and roll on the floor once again and collide with her dainty sandals._

_The body was completely unidentifiable._

_She didn't move._

_She was too scared to move._

_Her vision went farther and farther down and noticed something even stranger._

_Someone._

_Someone was eating it._

_She examined closely and noticed the most terrifying thing she has ever seen during the entire ordeal._

_"R-Renji...!?"_

_His hair was not pulled up in its usual ponytail. Instead, his slick red hair came riding down his back and stick to his blood drenched clothes. She flinched as sharp jagged canines sunk its teeth into the body's broken leg._

_But that was nothing._

_His eyes were the part that scared her the most._

_Those cold lifeless eyes that's sclera was colored black and iris a dark red, staring straight at her while feasting on its leg._

_She shakily brought her hands to her face as she watched her own best friend eat a human body._

_"Renji...what...why are you..." the words were caught in her throat. Rukia was paralyzed with fear and confusion. She could only stand there and watch him._

_Renji watched as his friend observed him. What was the matter? Has she not thought of this as common?_

_He removed the leg from his mouth and dropped it on the floor. He sat up inside the closet sitting cross-legged and watching her through half lidded eyes. Guessing she was just a juvenile, of course she would be scared. Blood and bits of skin was smeared all over his face and uniform and a display of monstrous characteristics were adorning his lean features._

_Sighing, he stood up slowly making locks of his hair fall and frame the fronts of his face. She took a step away from him at his actions. Her thoughts still unable to convert to words._

_Renji smiled at her. Displaying his red stained teeth._

_"Rukia..."_

_She jumped when he had said her name. Her throat was dry and the smell of the body's essence was making her want to vomit._

___"Are you scared of me?" he looked at her through seemingly emotionless black._

She licked her chapped lips and averted her gaze from setting on him.

_"Rukia..." he said in a sing-song voice surprising her._

_"You're not answerin' me..." his smile widening._

_He raised his arms to her and cocked his head to the side. Slowly walking up to her as if wanting a hug._

_"Please don't be scared..."_

_She stood there unable to talk._

_Unable to breathe._

_Unable to move._

_She stiffened when he had finally reached towards her and hugged her petite frame. Slowly bring his lips to her ear._

_"I was scared at first too, Rukia." he whispered. __Squeezing even tighter than before. A soft squeak escaping her lips. She could already feel the blood seeping through her clothes..._

_"The pain is unbearable and the power that courses through you only makes it worse. I felt like fucking dying right there at the time."_

_What was he talking about? He removed his head from her ear and tilted her head with his fingers to look at him. She looked dead into his eyes and could see insanity begin to rise in them._

_"But, when I woke up from it, I felt so relaxed and free. As if nothing could keep me from plummeting."_

_She could feel his fingers snake its way to her soft cheek. Grimacing as the fluids began marking her face red._

_"I left the room...went to Soul Society...found a nice looking girl...brought her here...and...started to eat her." __His calloused tips trailed over her mouth making more marks on her face._

_She wanted to scream._

_She wanted cry out of pure doubtfulness of what was going on._

_Renji's eyes softened when he stared at the stains he had painted on her face._

_"You look really nice right now, Rukia." he stated bringing his face closer to hers._

_"Red looks good on you..."_

_Her eyes widened into saucers. She could feel his hands grasp her shoulders tightly. Almost inflicting pain. She could feel the tears develop in her eyes and the constant fear swarming in her being._

_She needed to stop this. He could feel his fingers paint her neck red._

_"No..."_

_Renji stopped his ministrations and glared down at her. "What was that?"_

_"NO!"_

_She pushed him away with her hands and ran the other way. Tripping over the cluttered mess that was squad 11._

_Renji watched his friend run off to the entrance and smirked to himself. He was only playing around with her a bit. He really wasn't trying to do stuff to her. The most he would like to do with her was probably ask her if she would like to eat with him. But that was really the madness in him talking._

_"The others should be waking up right about now. They'll probably have a better chance in catching her and Hitsugaya. And maybe then me and Rukia can hunt together."_

_He turned back around and set his attention to his meal. "Now where were we?"_


	3. Insomnia

**I do not own Bleach.**

**Okay.**

**In an attempt to explain some of the answers to Byakko's questions, the only reason they didn't bring Rukia and Toshirouuuu with them and only Yachiru was because of the stages of the human mind. You see, when children see an event they are not familiar with, they can sometimes just sit there and allow their curiosity to wonder and watch what would happen.**

**This was Yachiru's case.**

**While Rukia and Toshirou, under pressure of the entire ordeal, and having more experience with the outside world, they would still have no idea what was going on but yet try to escape. Knowing what was probably happening may be bad.**

**Shunsei didn't want them to cause a commotion because that may cause problems for everyone.**

**To be honest, I have a planned layout and I'm being bombarded with all these questions about it. Yes I do have plans for Nemu and yes, I do have plans for Momo.**

**IT. WILL. TAKE. TIME.**

**From: That Sick Bastard Around The Corner Store**.

**By the way, I think I'll delete Spawn of Satan and well...do a 'cleanup' of the whole thing because, my fanfic writing has been getting a hell lot better and since I did that story...last...Summer...maybe, I realized that I did a WHOLE lot of rushing and I'm not surprised at all at how most of you didn't even mind it and were completely oblivious to how the writing was.**

**IN APPROXIMATELY 24 HOURS OR 72 HOURS, 'THE SPAWN OF SATAN', WILL BE DELETED AND A CLEANUP, WILL BE SITUATED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.**

* * *

**DAY: 21  
****HOURS: 0415  
****LOCATION: Outskirts of the 13 Squad Barracks**

She tossed and turned under her not at all warm blanket and frowned. Her lids were burning with tiredness and yet her mind still continued to wander about.

Yes, She did fall asleep at one point but was disturbed by the irritating noises of the hut settling and the abrupt sounds of Ichigo's snoring.

After that, the closest thing that she considered rest was staring at the small flashes of light that occurred whenever she would shut her eyes.

An inaudible groan of frustration escaped her lips as she buried her face into her pillow. They had to wake up in 2 hours and it would be a long journey to find a new hideout.

She really should be taking advantage of this opportunity to rest. Maybe it was stress that was keeping her up. Perhaps it was Paranoia. The mental ache of turning into those wretched beasts can make anyone go insane.

"Can't sleep, Kuchiki?"

She lifted her agitated face from the pillow and shifted her gaze towards the teen who had called her. He sat atop the sill of the window no more than 2 feet away from her. Zanpakuto ready in hand and a novel in the other.

"Obviously. I expected you to have been knocked out by now, Captain."

"Of course, I'm exhausted. But I still have to protect us tonight, now don't I?"

Tonight, one of them had to guard the hut and they all narrowed it down to Toshirou. This was a basic strategy that they all had to come up with since the beginning. They would take turns, or make it exclusionary. Toshirou, however, was picked through an exclusionary vote due to him having the most energy out of all three of them.

Neither of them said anything afterwards. It was always like this between the two. They both would just sit there, give each other small talk and not say anything to each other. Rukia wasn't close to him like she was with Ichigo, and Toshirou simply secluded himself from the two(possibly involuntarily)whenever he got the chance. But that didn't mean they didn't care for one another.

She ran her fingers through her coarse hair and looked up at him; slightly irritated. How could she start up a **lasting **conversation with him of all people? Her eyes scanned towards the book that was positioned in his hand and looked at it questioningly. It was colored an olive green and had simple ornamental patterns laced across the cover. It appeared thick and seemed quite heavy for something of it's stature. His hand blocked much of title. 'Shahna' the only letter visible.

The stoic teen noticed his ally's attention on the object, and held it out in front of her. "Do you know of this book?"

She stared at the large novel curiously and took it with both hands. She gave him a nod as she glanced at the title that adorned.

'Shahnameh', it read. "Yes. I do." she stated handing it back to him. "_The Book of Kings_, right?"

"You noble families really do have a refined taste in literature, huh?"

"You could say that..." she replied shyly. "My brother. He has an entire shelf stocked with books from foreign worlds. I just happened to stumble upon it one day and didn't really heed much attention to it afterwards."

"Well, you should have read it when you got the chance." he smirked. "I've been reading it for a while now and I already like it."

"I see..." she began. "If you don't mind me asking, where did you find it?"

"It was a few weeks ago when we were scavenging in the forest. I just happen to see it lying on the ground. Call it, 'blatant curiosity' if you will."

A thought occured in her head when she eyed the book once more. It has been awhile since she read anything good.

"Captain...?"

"Yeah?"

"You think you can read it to me?"

Another pang of silence came when the question was asked.

The young captain gave out a sigh and began flipping through the pages until one verse peaked his interest. He climbed off the sill of the window and sat cross legged in front of Rukia. "I guess since neither of us have anything much to do, right?"

A light smile plastered itself on her face and her eyes brightened slightly. "Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya." she grinned. "No problem. Let's begin shall we?" The young woman situated herself against the wall and stared at the low ceilings above her.

"_**The Reign of Jamshid**__. 'All mourned when the Binder of Demons died. But his splendid son, Jamshid, his heart filled with his father's precepts, then prepared to reign. He sat on his father's throne. Wearing a golden crown according to royal customs._.."

Rukia closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of her superior's voice and the words that escaped his mouth. Chapters and sentences were carried out into the night, until the petite girl began dozing off into a light sleep which eventually led to full unconsciousness.

* * *

**Authors note: Sorry for the REALLY late update.** **I was busy with finals, my brothers graduation was yesterday and I have a life besides the world of the webernets.**

**Anywhore, I deleted the other chapter because I thought it sucked and replaced it with some literature from Persia. Shahnameh is one my favorite books and I thought a quote from it to kinda symbolize the situation of the cannon story and the fanfic. It will all make sense soon.**

**And a message to Byakko to sign myself off:**

**Don't. Don't go all 'Gomenasai!' on me.**  
**All weebs shall be cut down.**


	4. Apology and Note

I would Like to say something Like, right now. I'm sorry for not uploading. Honestly I am! I have an 8 hour job (Which deals with kids), college is all in the hill, I wanna get this comic I'm making out now and I'm halfway finished with the next chapter! Please Bare with me with this! I am SO SORRY.

Please don't stab me with flames like this one PM I got!


	5. Journey

**I do not own Bleach.**

**Sorry for the...unnecessarily long update but, sadly, I have dealt with many things as of late.**

**1. Writers Block.**

**2. Thinking up ideas that aren't retarded.**  
**4. JOB and LIFE**

* * *

**DAY: 21**  
**HOURS: 0815**  
**LOCATION: Outskirts of the 13 Squad Barracks**

An uncaring scowl was visible on her damp features as she dragged her struggling victim through the muddy forest floor. It was a slightly overweight middle aged man that was deemed rather poor and homeless. He had raggedy looking clothes, he felt dirty and unclean, had a beard and head full of hair that had clumps of dirt and grime tangled within, and numerous other imperfections. Whatever the case, she really didn't care who or what suited her carnivorous appetite. If she wasn't all that hungry, a young child or small animal would cope. But, a meal such as this one would mean that she hasn't eaten in a good while.

A cold and heartless woman she was.

Her annoyance grew even more by each passing moment when she felt the desperate man dig his blood encrusted nails into the muddy soil. A small wail of apologies and offerings to whatever deity he was praying to. Black eyes darted to him with death clouding it's slitted pupils. The only reason she kept him alive was because, she hated eating her food when they were dead. They would taste cold and deprived of flavor when you ate them too slow. Devouring them alive was both satisfying and exhilarating for the most part. They would retain their normal body temperature and the panic that thrives through them only makes it rise even more. Making their insides delectable and soft while their blood would remain hot and thirst quenching. Not to mention, the struggle they make is rather fun to watch.

She continued walking steadily through the trees as she tried her best ignoring the man's pleas and the bombarding of droplets that threatened to spill over the ends of her hair and onto her face. Both which was rather annoying and impossible to disregard. On one part, she was anxious to eat and on another part, the rain was the main reason she couldn't hunt regularly than usual. The stout woman suddenly stopped in her tracks when she felt an odd presence of power from behind her. Her brow furrowing. The man confused and surprised, attempted to shakily crawl away but was instantly stopped when he felt his attacker's nails digging into the skin of his leg. Her gaze not looking away from the location of power.

"You can come out now, Kyoraku. I desire for no games to be played." she stated. Few seconds past when she finally heard the rustling of bushes and a soft laugh to be heard from within. "Impressive. I would have guessed that the great 'Soulless' Soi Fon could sense spiritual pressure as low as mine in these conditions." he smiled emerging from his dense hiding spot. She scanned his attire curiously. Same hardy grin, laid back eyes and curled wavy hair. His sclera hadn't faded to black, his teeth remained unchanged and his uniform was not at all covered in any red fluids. Ever since the transformation, he has attained the same features. Most would think he was as innocent as the next guy.

But that would be in the eyes of a fool. He was just as sadistic and unpredictable like the others. He just suppressed his power far better than any of them combined. Indeed, under that warm smile lied the facade of a killer. The Captain Commander walked towards his subordinate until his feet laid within nose distance of her dinner. "Some melancholic weather we're having, wouldn't you say so?" he said looking into the dark grey sky. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly when she caught on to the fact he was actually expecting her to answer. "Q-quite..." she replied somewhat unnerved. This conversation was beginning to grow odder and odder by the minute. "Enough of the small talk." she blurted snapping out of her confusion.

"What is it exactly that you want from me?" A question that was the most liable to be asked. He would never speak of which to any other Soul Reaper unless it were something eventful, or of the utmost importance.

Unless...

"Straight to the point as always, eh? Well since you asked nicely, I'll get to it..."

"You do know about the incident with Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Kuchiki, correct?" he cocked his head to the side with a slight nod. "How could I not know of their disappearance? A disgraceful thing for them to go and hide away somewhere with that substitute." Ever since she reached maturity, Soi Fon always accepted the blood that raged through her. Feeling as if it is dishonorable to decline and neglect your killer instincts. "Well I have a nice job for you to do." He eyed her intensely.

The tormented victim that was becoming even more confused by the minute began to thrash violently in a pathetic attempt to escape. "I see you have managed to catch someone today." he cooed. "Difficult it was. But, I was lucky to find such a plentiful source. Even if he is dirty." she replied with an uncaring manner. A grin came on his face when he stared down at the helpless man. "My, my. He is making a nuisance, isn't he?"

The female captain couldn't help but notice how Shunsei's foot began slightly hovering over the man's head. "So about that little favor of mine..." he began. "I want you to capture those two little troublemakers, in a matter of five days." Slightly held back by his words, the woman averted her attention from his foot and back at him. "Why is it that you only ask me for assistance? My stealth and speed will not be enough for capturing the both of them. Especially with that Substitute around."

"Which is why I assigned a few of our own to help you out a bit. And I do believe you know who they are." he applied more pressure on her victim's head as he spoke. "And what shall happen if me and my associates fail?" Shunsui put a finger to his lip and glanced the other way in deep thought in a rather comical fashion. "Well...I hadn't really thought of that..." he said dimwittedly. Soi Fon couldn't help but stare at him sardonically. How...crass of him. "I certainly can't kill you guys. Even if it is permissible." His features were becoming darker. "Torture is out of the question as well, huh...? Or is it?" She could easily hear the pained groans of the man under his foot as he pressed harder on his head.

"Tell you what..." he continued. Enjoying the man squirm from under him. "You fail this assignment..." Finally, with all his force he raised his foot up high above the ground and drove it through the man's temple. Earning a spray of the familiar red liquids to spray on the current head captain's face and clothes. Soi Fon couldn't help but cringe at the sight before her. And yet feel a tinge of anger. What was left of her meal's cranium was nothing but a gaping seemingly black hole that leaked of all the contents that was held in his hollow skull. Even the skull itself. "You'll feel more pain than he ever did."

She could feel herself bite her lip and taste the tang of her own blood. The rage she felt was eating her alive and the feel of her superior's throat in her hands was what she yearned for the most. "Nuh-uh, Soi Fon." he grasped her chin and tilted her face to his. Loving the anger boil within her even more. He leaned in close to her and gave her a heartfelt smile. As if he had never murdered a single person in his life. "If you so much as give me this look, or feel this way towards me ever again..." he nudged his way to her ear and gripped her chin violently. Hearing the slightest of gasps emerge from her throat. "I'll rip your fucking head off." he chuckled. Feeling her anger slowly dissipate into fear was a delightful sight to see in his eyes.

He let go off her chin and smirked when he saw the express into slight moments of shaking. He Brought his hands to her cheeks and caressed them slightly. Confusion beginning to overwhelm the young woman.

His smile.

That smile. is what made her terrified of him. He would do so many awful...abominable things that even she could never imagine. But still retain that carefree look on his face like he always had. She whimpered slightly when he began massaging her cheeks with the pads of his thumb. Lighting from the sky emphasizing the blood that adorned his psychotic nature. "You won't fail me on this one. Right, Soi Fon?" it sounded nothing like a question. But a command. She swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded her head in agreement. Being all too wary of the personal space violation. He let go of her finally and stuffed his hands into his sleeves. "Now, I'm expecting high hopes from you, cadet. And believe me..." he turned on his heels and left the quivering stealth officer in place. "I will be watching."

* * *

Lavender orbs peeked slightly as the sounds of rapid yet calm footsteps awoke her from unconsciousness. She groaned inwardly as the steps echoed through the floorboards. Further amplifying the noise.

Lazily, Rukia lifted her head from the wooden floor and searched around the small hut only to stop at a seemingly tired Ichigo standing securely near the door. Attention registered on the window next to him. The orange haired man noticed his friend rise from her deep slumber and allowed a scowl to form on his face. "Bout' time you woke up, midget." He chided casually. His gaze averting from the window to her. She glared at the rather tiresome looking fellow and let out a large 'humph'. "Do you always have to be an asshole whenever you wake up?" she asked rubbing the base of her nose. That's what she would assume at first. The bags under his eyes were darker than usual and his frown seemed to be a lot more intense than it ever was.

"Watch that mouth of yours, mister snippy. A child should never use such language."

"You're gonna wind up getting hurt, you know that?" She could hear him snicker ever so slightly when he turned his attention back to the window. Too tired to counter, the short girl looked about the room curiously as she stretched her arms and legs. The hut was still the same with it's rickety floorboards and dull atmosphere. Only thing making it lively was the people that were currently living in it.

A brow was raised when she stared at the windowsill that was being watched with hawk eyes. Steadily making her remember the events that went about last night. Hitsugaya reading that persian novel, the way the words would endlessly spill from his mouth and the flow of writing and detail that just had to make her fall straight to sleep.

_Speaking of which..._

Her head spun around to Ichigo who was currently munching on a pear with the bag he got the night before wrapped in his arms. "Where did Captain Hitsugaya go?" she questioned. "Oh, him? He went over to that lake to get some water." he said in between bites. "Really..." she responded indirectly. A grimace forming when he had spoken.

That lake was not far from here and was only a good 2 or 3 kilometers away from their base. They had visited it a few times when conditions were stable and at the least bit threatening. Of course, that was when all this nonsense had just started. With weather like this, it was more than likely Hitsugaya was going to be okay. But, something in her...almost like instinct told her to go out and get him.

Noticing this, Ichigo stopped eating and glanced at his friend and back to the window. "I wouldn't feel bad though." he blurted out. "The rain turned into a full blown tropical storm over night. So, I'm sure the guy'll be just fine." The concern in her eyes began fading away from worry and back to it's usual quirkiness which made the substitute less tense. Yet, he could still see the melancholy swish in her being. Letting out a small sigh, he stopped eating the pear and gave his friend a reassuring smile. "Besides, we're going to get him when we leave this dump anyway."

The sadness that was slowly festering within her, disappeared in an instance as his words were said. Nodding her head in agreement, she stood up cheerfully. Beginning to get ready for the long and hard journey.

* * *

A sharp frown plagued his features as he poured more water into the makeshift gourd. Why did he volunteer to come out here in the first place? The wind whipped at his body like a thousand lashes, rain, earth and leaves blocked his sight and the weather would only get worse by the minute. Maybe he should have listened to Ichigo and let him go instead. He did say that the conditions would be too rough for his small body. But, Toshirou just had to lash out at him through his own pride and arrogance. Though he would never admit it, he himself thought it was rather childish.

And here he was. Using pathetic yet, effective ways of catching water while holding an overgrown leaf over his head to act as a potential umbrella that proved to be nothing of great use. He lightly thumped his head against the base of his arm and let out an angered groaned._ I should have listened to Kurosaki when I had the chance! If we're going to cooperate, we need to listen and stick together at all times._ His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the faint voice of an all too familiar ally. "Captain Hitsugaya!" a familiar voice called out. Raising his head from his arm, he turned to see the livid figure of one of his companions. "K-Kuchiki? What the hell are you doing out here? You weren't suppose to leave the hut until I came back!" he scorned. "Ichigo and I decided to come out and meet you here instead. We would have wasted time if you came back directly to the hut."

The irritation that flowed inside him dissipated slightly at her explanation. It would be a better choice than just waiting for him and wasting a few minutes of precious time. "Where is Kurosaki, though? It isn't like him to wander off."

"He's...out using the bathroom." she replied. Sucking his teeth, he resumed back to his duty with the strains of irritation slowly appearing. Ugh, how he hated this job so much.

A slight snicker escaped Rukia's lips as she watched Hitsugaya fumble with the container. They were slow yet effective attempts that most would deem rather...ridiculous. She however thought it was humorous for the most part. She shook her head in amusement and walked next to the small teen. She crouched beside him curiously and watched the gourd drift harmlessly in the water. Completely ignoring the occasional glares he would give her. "Need some help there?" politeness not at all fake tainting her voice. His eyes glazed her own with doubtfulness. How can she gather water without having it being splashed in her face?

He let it drift towards her calmly and watch her small hands handle it with ease. Skeptical at first, he watched her with fascination as she quickly and carefully filled the gourd with the raging rapids all it the way to the brim in a matter of seconds. Tying it off with the firm rope that was attached to it. "Here you go." she placed it in his arms carefully. He blinked for a minute before finally waking up to reality once more.

"Oh...! Thank You, Kuchiki..." he mentally cursed for almost tripping on his words. "You don't have to thank me, Captain." she shaked her hand. "It's the least I can do." pouty lips forming a shy smile. "What gets me is that you were able to handle it with little effort at all. Why is that?" his curiosity getting to him. "Well...when you have to fight for your own survival at an early age, you pick up a few kinks, you know? Sorta like the situation we're in now." he grunted softly listening to her words

No wonder. She was a survivalist from the very beginning. And judging from the various stories and observations she would tell him and Ichigo from time to time, they really couldn't imagine the hardships she had to face before she was adopted to the Kuchiki clan.

Sighing, Hitsugaya stood up on his feet and wobbled slightly when the wind rocked his body. Clutching the leaf umbrella tightly to his chest preventing it from flying away. Rukia followed soon after and wiped the raindrops away from her face that threatened to get in her eyes. The young captain noted the gray colored sky and scanned it dutifully. His brows furrowed at the position of the clouds and the light that seemed to be almost nonexistent. "Is something the matter?" the Kuchiki asked fervently. "...judging by the way the sky has lightened up, it should be almost a quarter to 9." he stopped for a moment and turned his attention to Rukia. "Kuchiki, do you have any idea where Kurosaki is?"

"I told him to wait in the secluded part of the forest in the northern region. It is not very far from here, though." he nodded his head and walked ahead of her. Adjusting his scarf to shield his neck from the cold. "The other Soul Reapers should still be resting right about now. If not, their senses should be blinded. Let's make haste and fine that ignorant friend of yours."

"Yessir!" she obeyed as they both flash stepped to the north.

* * *

"Their almost here, I see." he said sensing the combined spiritual pressure of the two short rounds. He ruffled his wet orange hair and frowned when he glanced up at the ominous sky unwittingly. He cringed slightly when he heard a scream echo from a far. "Someone managed to catch something." A pang of sadness struck his heart when he remembered his first encounter with one of those monsters that happened those many days ago. He will never forget that moment even to this day. Even though he wishes every day that he could. Though, he has learned to push that memory to the back of his mind for a later time. Right now one word was rooted in his mind at the moment.

Survive.

Nothing else. Escaping from this hell hole with the hide on his back with Rukia and Toshirou, was what he dreamed of. And he will make that dream a reality no matter the cause. He leaned his back against the tree and looked back at the sky again with half lidded eyes.

He usually enjoyed weather such as this. Rainy days always provided a sense of comfort for the substitute. Being secluded in his room with a Shakespearean novel without being annoyed by his overly eccentric father and nosy younger sisters. Now he'll never look at it the same way ever again. Sure, he'll most definitely have a newfound respect for it for having a kind of protection value but that comfort part was a tad bit iffy.

A smirk found a place on his face when he heard the captain and lieutenant land somewhere bushy. _Bout' effin' time_. Things will be different between all of them after this shit was over. Rukia, Toshirou and himself would view that Court Guard Squads in a completely different limelight. Trust would be scarce, two of the three youngest seated officers would grow closer to Ichigo than ever before and a hell of a lot of other things. He rubbed the corners of his eyes when he felt the effects of sleep try and take over.

"What an appropriate time for my brain to shut down." he cursed silently. He was gonna sleep off a storm when they find new shelter for sure. Lifting himself from off the tree, he hissed slightly when he felt his back give off a soft crick. Hearing the sounds of his companions grow louder, he turned to the direction of the noise and was greeted by two small silhouettes in the distance. "Yo! Toshirou! Rukia!" he called out running towards them. The raven haired girl turned and let out a slight sigh of relief when she saw her friend. "Ah. Ichigo." she sighed with contempt.

"You ready to go or not?" asked the slightly taller Captain. Ichigo nodded his head and rested his eyes towards the west. "Alright, here's the plan," he began. "There is a small cave not too far from here we can stay in for a good while. The west has a shorter route which would take up about 30 minutes or less. Though, we have a higher possibility of running into one of those psychos."

"My guess is because, the western route is more secluded, right?" Rukia interrupted. "Exactly." continued Ichigo. "But if we head east, we can avoid all of that but at the risk of eating away more time."

"But it depends on how much time we're willing to waste, Kurosaki." it was now Hitsugaya's turn to step in. "We only have until noon or earlier and it is already about 9. Just what are we dealing with?"

"Which brings me to my point. We can either take the western route which avoids them and goes well over an hour or choose the eastern route that takes up less time and yet, have the risk of running into one of the Soul Reapers." he glared at the two and crossed his arms. "We got two choices to make do with. which is it?" the younger teens looked back at each other for a moment and search the other's face for answers. The staring ended with Rukia mouthing a word of approval to Ichigo. "Alright then. Seems like we got ourselves an answer." he smirked. And with that, the three ventured off to the east Unknowing of the perils that lay ahead.

* * *

**Authors Note: It's great to be back, guys. Sorry for not updating all summer. Shit's just been a real hassle. Aside from that, I wanted to get more stuff in this chapter. How Ichigo's thoughts are about the whole thing, what Shunsui and them are planning and all that crap.**

**The next chapter however will most likely be a flashback. Either detailing Ichigo's or Hitsugaya's first experience. Though, it will most likely be Ichigo. I'm not so sure though. What do you people think? Post your decisions down under and all that. See ya'll next week. Oh yeah, and the reason I put Ichigo and Shakespeare together is because, on Kubo's fun facts, it said Ichigo has a deep respect for William Shakespeare and his works.**

**P.S. Sorry if the gore and creepiness is amateurish. I'm really tired right now and I finished the first part of the story for last, because I couldn't think of anything when I was making this one. And yes, your Persian literature by Hitsugaya will be coming soon. Just let me sleep...**


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